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Fucking car stealerships. I've never been much of a new car guy, and generally twist my own wrenches (take that any way you like), but I did buy a new tacoma ~1.5 years ago that came with two years of "free" oil changes. Easiest job there is, yet they still managed to cross-thread one of the bash plate bolts.
I still don't understand how people... nay, IDIOTS!, manage to foul up screwing a simple bolt back in. It's one of the reasons I've decided on doing all my own oil changes and most service myself from now on. Yes, being cheap is first and foremost, but also I trust my novice self WAAAAYYYYYYYY more than whatever knucklehead "oil tech" they just hired to do the basic service jobs. I also like the thought of letting it drain totally dry before refilling. I always felt like when they do an oil change in like 5 minutes total that they must've left like a quart of old oil in there. Yeah, I know it likely doesn't make a huge difference in the end, but I like the thought of having pure, fresh oil in there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
Something else I noticed is that I actually spend MORE time going through the rigamarole of taking the car to the shop or stealership, waiting forever for them to give me my keys back, then getting it back home, than simply just doing it myself which doesn't even take a half hour if that.
I plan long runs around service intervals. If I drop my car when they open, I can usually get a 12-15mi run in before they finish.Quote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
Pure laziness and using pneumatic tools with the wrong torque settings is how these burger flipping monkey wrenchers manage to strip bolts. In other words don't take vehicles to Jiffy Lube/Einstein's Oilrey or whatever chain oil change places.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
VERY true about all the oil change places, but it's even less acceptable when it's the freaking dealership whose personnel SHOULD know what they're doing. Last time I let them touch my car they messed up so bad (overfilled by multiple quarts somehow) that I've only done them myself since. Bonus has been that for less than half the price, I switched from the Castrol Edge (which is a fine oil) the dealer provides to Motul 8100 Eco-nergy, which I feel is a superior oil and I use factory oil filters (Volvo/Mann). Is it possible that the car can rev faster and get a bit better mpg? Sure seems that way but I can't tell if it's placebo or not. Engine sure seems to rev more freely and bumped up an average of 2-3 mpg (something I monitor religiously).Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnjam
2 years ago...
me: guys, this design sucks, we need to change it now
eng: pound sand sales boy
1 year ago....
me: guys, this is serious, look at what COULD happen.
eng: pound sand sales boy
yesterday/today
customer: this design sucks, pull your head out of your asses, btw, the $500k po is going to your competition today.
Eng: WHY DID NOT ANYONE BRING THIS UP??????
:fuckyou:
This particular bolt can't be reached with an air ratchet unless you remove the front air dam. That "tech" kept tightening it against serious resistance until it wouldn't turn anymore - yet was still a 1/4" from seated - and called it good.Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnjam
I know he's probably an apprentice, but that's not something I would've done at 16. Total amateur hour.
At least they actually change your oil. I have a newer Toyota with the same service package, and three times now I've taken it in at about ~8500-9000 miles since the last oil change, and all three times, they've returned the car to me without changing the oil, despite me explicitly asking them to. They say "well, the interval is 10k, you still have a ways to go."Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
I made an appointment for nothing other than an oil change, and instead you don't change my oil, rotate my tires, and don't adjust the pressure (I run the fronts 2-3 PSI higher than the rears). It's happened at both Totem Lake Toyota in Kirkland and Michael's in Bellevue. Extremely frustrating, because then when I eventually convince them to change the oil, it's turned what should be a 45 minute service into a 2+ hour endeavor.
That is annoying. The service writers were good about listening to, and writing down my requests to not rotate the tires, not wash it under any circumstances, and change the oil before the interval, so I guess there's that.
Well at least they didn't try to upsell you for the $75 nitrogen tire inflation. Perhaps next visit?
Ironic...I just had an oil change/inspection from a local garage last Thursday....got home and oil was dripping from car onto driveway....crawl underneath, and the oil plug was not screwed on tight as oil is dripping away?.....So have to grab a ratchet and tighten.....wtf?...
Sounds like this happens more often than you’d think.
grocery store wrapped cheese wedges
fuck me
is there some "life hack" to unwrap these hellish combinations of glue & plastic wrap & not cut or rip them to shapes that can't recover the cheese?
Oh, totally. That's the new racket with the sales pitch of "lifetime free oil changes with purchase of a new car!" Means that you get like 10-20 oil changes by their 10K standard. Whoopdeefreakingdoo. And when they say ALL maintenance is included for the duration of the warranty or as long as you own the car, that also doesn't mean jack since so many new cars have (foolishly) 100K or "Lifetime" fluids. Or Audi's sealed, unserviceable transmissions. WTF?!Quote:
Originally Posted by glademaster
Like one mechanic said to me once about that scam, "Sure it's a lifetime fluid. The lifetime of the TRANSMISSION." So if it blows at 100K, then hey. That was the trans' lifetime. Dealer or manufacturer won't have to cover it. LMAO.
Ooh, that one really burns me too. The whole reason I've taken it to those schmucks is so I DON'T have to fool with that nonsense. Yet here you and I have been, crawling back underneath the car to fix their errors with a puddle of oil underneath that we now have to clean up. Not cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by BC.
I can tell you exactly why they offer this: it keeps you coming back to the dealership for service. With that 10k standard between oil changes there's usually something else that needs to be done to the car when you bring it in.Quote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
I can tell you exactly why they offer this: it keeps you coming back to the dealership for service. With that 10k standard between oil changes there's usually something else that needs to be done to the car when you bring it in. Otherwise you'd take the car somewhere closer and/or cheaper, but you're getting that free oil change after all...Quote:
Originally Posted by MontuckyFried
And don't fill the windshield fluid because I know you're going to use the shit that freezes at 32F.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
After many failures in this regard, I now always top off my fluid reservoir before any service, with my own mix of distilled water and seasonal secret sauce.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Won't stop the true nimrod, I suppose, who takes the manual specified reservoir volume and simply pours it all in, ignoring the waterfall cascading down under the car, but that's first tier stupid that I would actually pay to watch.
I like to add one of those spring loaded snake things before I snap on the washer reservoir cap. It's fun to watch the mechanic hit his head on the hood when that thing pops out of the fluid reservoir.Quote:
Originally Posted by PB
Toyota dealers generally use Toyota brand washer fluid, which is a concentrate that you add water to for whatever temp. Even if they've diluted it beyond 50/50, it's easy to get it back to unfreezable.
In a pinch Grey Goose or Chopin with a bit of maraschino water does the trick as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
Pfft Obviously, everyone knows that sales people don't know what they are talking about.Quote:
Originally Posted by hawkgt
No concentrate in CA. Although in the last year or two I'm seeing --20F fluid back on the shelves. Must have been reformulated. You couldn't get it here for years, had to go to Reno or add alcohol to the fluid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker